2. Presenter Disclosures (1)The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months: Tvli Jacob No relationships to disclose

3. Documentary as a tool for community-based participatory policy work: The THRIVE study

4. BACKGROUND Community-based documentary filmmaking is an innovative participatory research method, building on the tradition of photovoice, and providing community members with video cameras to investigate issues of concern, communicate their knowledge, and advocate for change

5. Why “participatory” documentary? Enables people to record and reflect their community's strengths and concerns Promote critical dialogue and knowledge about important issues through large and small group discussion of photographs Docs can be disseminated beyond the scope of strict traditional academic publications Allows communities to tell their stories Reach policymakers

6. It is also steeped in the tradition of storytelling as a way to communicate wisdom and knowledge in Native communities

7. INTRODUCTION I will tell you something about stories [he said] They aren’t just entertainment. Don’t be fooled. They are all we have, you see, all we have to fight off illness and death.

8. You don’t have anything if you don’t have the stories -From Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

9. Community-based documentary filmmaking Used throughout the THRIVE randomized trial study to develop and implement “healthy makeovers” in tribally-owned convenience stores in Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations of Oklahoma

10. Documentary used as participatory research method in 3 ways 1.collect qualitative and environmental footage for community assessment and planning process 2.Disseminate video via community screenings followed by facilitated talking circles to prioritize intervention strategies 3.channel collectively-defined priorities to policy decision-makers for implementation

11. Video footage collected by 2-3 teams of 8-10 (18+) tribal members in each community Guided by the Social Impact Model for Creative Media, which begins with a culturally appropriate and compelling story and uses awareness-raising and engagement methods

12. In addition to informing intervention design and implementation, as well as evaluation, documentary will be used to create web-based manual to guide other tribal communities in implementing strategies to improve the food environments

13. CHALLENGES Participation Tribal/community input and understanding IRB Comprehension Participants holding back on sharing out of fear

14. OUTCOMES Qualitative and environmental data, collected from “citizen scientists” most affected by the issue Empowerment Creating a story for healing (positive health outcomes) Showing the results of study and sharing with others Having a record of these stories Bringing communities together Not another “research” study in tribal communities, but action research for change